PHILADELPHIA – The Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will evaluate a biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise at the Salem Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station on Artificial Island in Salem, New Jersey. The exercise will take place on May 22, 2018 to test the ability of the State of Delaware to respond to an emergency at the nuclear facility.
“These drills are held every other year to evaluate government’s ability to protect public health and safety,” said MaryAnn Tierney, Regional Administrator for FEMA Region III. “We will assess state and local emergency response capabilities within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone of the nuclear facility within the State of Delaware.”
Within 90 days post-exercise, FEMA will send a report of their evaluation to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for use in licensing decisions. The final report will be available to the public approximately 120 days after the exercise.
FEMA will present preliminary findings of the exercise in a public meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 25, 2018, at Hilton Garden Inn Dover, 1706 North DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Scheduled speakers include representatives from FEMA, NRC and the State of Delaware.
At the public meeting, FEMA may request that questions or comments be submitted in writing for review and response. Written comments may also be submitted after the meeting by emailing FEMAR3NewsDesk@fema.dhs.gov or by mail to:
MaryAnn Tierney
Regional Administrator
FEMA Region III
615 Chestnut Street, 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106
FEMA created the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program to (1) ensure the health and safety of citizens living around commercial nuclear power plants would be adequately protected in the event of a nuclear power plant accident and (2) inform and educate the public about radiological emergency preparedness.
REP Program responsibilities cover only “offsite” activities, that is, state and local government emergency planning and preparedness activities that take place beyond the nuclear power plant boundaries. Onsite activities continue to be the responsibility of the NRC.
Additional information on FEMA’s REP Program is available online at FEMA.gov/Radiological-Emergency-Preparedness-Program.
FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Learn more about FEMA Region III at www.FEMA.gov/region-iii. Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.
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